For Laser Beams and Explosions
by Maxxus Herald
Summary: So... yeah. I'm kinda lost. Really lost, actually. See, I'm some super awesome stealth agent from another reality with a voice in my head that my girlfriend can hear and is apparently totally cool with. Unfortunately, I don't remember that ever happening. Oh, and apparently an advanced race of sentient starships wants to kill us all. Joy. -FemShep- Testing my Writing, Please Help


**Author's notes: Boom! I thought this would be entertaining, so I'm trying it. Any help staying in first person present would be helpful. Any critique on writing style, missing plot, or word usage would be greatly appreciated.**

**EDIT: Realized the grouping symbols I wanted to use for the thought-communication between the two wasn't working, had to replace.**

**Disclaimer: May not own it, but I love it anyway.**

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**Chapter 01**

**Reconstruct your Military Profile**

Leaning on the edge of the railing, I look out the huge window to see flying cars. In the backround, there is a large... thing of purple-white material in front of a beautiful nebula of starry white. Neat. However, I'm currently more concerned with the question of 'Where the heck am I?' From the looks of things I'm on a space station, and it's a large one. ... I think. I don't remember much about space stations. Actually, I don't remember much of anything, but one step at a time. Let's see now, my surroundings are either gray or white, and made of metal. There's a lot of glowing word signs around.

There area is pretty open, and there are quite a few people around. This sign for "Flux" sounds like advertisement, so perhaps an entertainment or market district? The people's attire is generally made of one piece... cloth? I wonder how I would tell if it wasn't? Judging from the looks people are giving me, my entirely black outfit made up of a long coat, kung-fu shirt with gold trim, fingerless gloves, kung-fu pants, and combat boots is not really the norm. Taking another look around, I see what everyone else is wearing. _Yep, I'm totally out of place. _So I'm probably not from around here.

I shift away from their gazes, feeling a familiar weight on my hip. I look down to check it out, but don't see anything. _Must be under the coat._ Brushing it aside, I see gun. More importantly than seeing it, it feels, practically screams to me, that it is _mine_. That's important, since I apparently have... what's it called? ... Memory loss, I think. Pretty sure there is a more technical term for it, but I'm drawing blanks.

I move my hand to my cheek, letting my coat fall over my firearm so that my hand could help me lean on the rail and brood. ... Wait, brooding sounds bad. Let's call it thinking. [_Because thinking to yourself in plural is so very healthy.]_ Yeah, it probably isn't very- wait what? Who was that?

A feminine voice floats teasingly into my mind. [_Aww, did you forget little ol' me already?]_

A small frown forms on my lips. I open my mouth to respond when I'm cut off. [_Don't cause a commotion, no one but you can hear me. Also, don't speak to me out loud. Just think toward me, and I should hear you just fine.]_

... Sure, why not? It's not like I know where I am. ... Or when I am, or how I got here, or who I am. Or should that be 'who I was?' ... Better not keep Miss Disembodied Voice waiting too long. For all I know, she might have answers to my many, many questions. (_... Like this?)_

_[Bingo! Okay, since you're suffering from amnesia-]_

_(Amne-what? Rather, what's amnesia?)_ I should get a scoreboard. I have a feeling I'll be making this same confused face a lot from now on.

_[Your memory loss. It's a special type, but I'll explain that later. Anyway, since you're suffering from amnesia, I'll be your friend and guide. I'll answer your questions and tell you anything you need to know._ Awesome. _Aren't I generous? You can call me Boton. So, what's your first question? I'm sure you have a lot.]_ Yes.

Odd. I'm still leaning against the railing, looking out at the flying cars of the future... but I suddenly feel like I've gained something. No, more like... re-gained. Is this 'Boton' someone I used to know? Well, she _does_ make me feel awfully safe... but I should probably ask, just to be sure. (_Boton, did we know each other before I lost my memory? If so, what was our relation, and how did we meet?)_ Nervous laughter flitters back. (_Please don't tell me you don't remember either...)_

... Is... is that an air of seriousness? How does that work over the... Wait, what are we using to communicate? Is it telepathy, or do I have a radio in my skull? Aw, snap. Did someone mess with m- [_No, I remember. I'm just not sure I should let you know all of the details about that yet.]_ What?! [_BUT, since you asked, yes. We knew each other before. We were partners, and we trusted each other more than anything. As for whe-]_

Sudd_enly, I'm in a wooden room with a wooden desk, a lamp and a small amount of paperwork sitting atop it. It's hot, stuffy, and dry in the office since the fan broke. A blue haired girl and I, dressed in desert camo fatigues, stand at parade rest in front of a stern looking old man. His eyes drill into me, and I feel ashamed. So ashamed. He opens his mouth. The scene begins to fade away. "Trust your partner." Oblivion._

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I wake to the smell of... something. It smells equal parts lovely and familiar. I sit up in bed and freeze. Wait, I wasn't in bed before. Where am I? what happened? How did I get here? ... (_Boton! Are you there? Are you safe?)_

Boton's voice is thoroughly laced with worry, concern, relief, and frustration. I'm actually a little surprised I can even identify any of those emotions, considering my amnesia is weird/special. [_I'm fine, I'm more concerned about you! One second we were talking and the next you're out cold on the floor! What happened?]_

Good question. I take a few moments to think about it. It was... something really familiar. Familiar enough that it might've happened before. (_I think I... I think I remembered something.)_

Before I can actually start brood- I mean thinking about the memory, her cheery voice cuts in. [_That's great! Unfortunately, we don't have a lot of time for me to get you updated. I'm about to tell you a lot about where you came from. Are you ready?]_

I nod an affirmative. Knowledge about... something about me sounds good right about now.

_[Okay, first thing you need to know is that the universe is large. So large, in fact, that it's almost infinite. A person is part of a small community. That community is part of a city, and that city is part of a country. A country part of a planet, the planet part of a star system, the system part of a galaxy, the galaxy part of a universe. Multiple universes with similar elements, like certain war heroes or universe changing events, make a Multiverse. All Multiverses together make the Omniverse. With me so far?]_ Maybe?

She continues without waiting for a response. [_There are a lot of universes out there. Enough that if there's something you can imagine happening, or something you can't ever imagine happening, chances are that it's happening somewhere out there. Many multiverses are refered to by their franchise name in the realities where they're fiction, like the Naruto-verse. We come from a universe in the Halo-verse. In our home universe, we came from Earth in the 32nd century. I don't want to brag, but we had some pretty amazing accomplishments. Humanity was united and mostly peaceful. We had figured out how to live side by side with nature, without giving up our technology or becoming dependent on it. A century after mastering Forunner technology, our starships could travel between galaxies in hours. As of the 30th century, humanity had finally caught up to the end of the ever expanding universe. Twenty years after that, we had worked out inter-reality travel. Humanity had finally gone "to infinity and beyond."]_

I inturupt this information dump to say that I finally recognized that the familiar smell from earlier is coffee. That is all.

_[Until our time, our race went into other realities and came back with new, alien technology. Well, technically it was usually human technology, but from a different path of development. The goverment and military always did what it could to integrate that technology into both civilian and military use. You and I were part of a military program to explore the Omniverse, and report places of high technological advancement to the brass. We were really successful, and had gotten pretty high in the ranks.]_

She pauses, apparently thinking what to say next. Admittedly, this is really interesting. I wonder what kind of marvels we brought back? Heck, I...

I just realizied I don't remember anything beyond guns, armor, warmachines, and the most awesome coffee machine ever. Ouch. Oh, wait! I do remember neon and fluorescent lights! ... I'm feeling so much failure right now. I should probably say something so Boton knows I'm still listening.

_(Boton, am I correct in assuming we're in a different reality than our own?)_

That familiar cheery voice-in-my-head-that-I'm-totally-glad-is-there sounds out a pleased response. [_Bingo! This here is one of the 'Mass Effect' universes. We've been to one of these before, but it was mostly for reconnaisssance. This is officially the first time we're doing such a long assignment, so we can't screw it up!]_

... Uh... What? Wait, I did that wrong. (_Uhh... What?)_

_[Oh, that's right! I forgot you don't remember, I'm sorry!]_ Funny, that. ... I believe that thing I just did was sarcasm. Well, at least she has the decency to sound sheepish. [_Well you see, we had only been going on stealthed observation and data gathering missions until now. No interacting with people of any kinds. There wasn't much to do, and it could get very boring. Recently however, we got our first official tech gathering assignment! Oh, it's so exciting! Only the best get do to those, and for good reason!]_

She pauses from what I am quickly recognizing as her 'lecture mode.' In the lull, I somehow decide I should take in my surroundings. To my left is a window. Light is trying to get through, but the curtains are pulled shut. There is also a small table next to the bed. To my right is a... thingy on the wall with a red cross painted(?) on the front. The bed is placed in the center of the room, facing the door on the opposite wall. There is floral print on the blankets of the bed, and posters of what appear to be groups of posing boys on the walls. They appear to be ads of some sort. It takes a few more moments, but I finally realize she's waiting for a response. _Okay, (I'll bite. What reason?)_

_[Because the 'Away' partner has to have a good portion of their memory wiped! Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha...]_ Okay, she's a little too cheerful about that, nervous laughter or not. Either way, it's slightly upsetting. [_That's why we're trained in pairs. The 'Away' partner, that's you, goes into the other universe to actually aquire the technology. In places with potential mind readers, all of his or her memories that could lead them back to us are wiped or locked away. Sometimes some extra information gets locked up, like what shoes are, but they'll come back in a few days. Any new memories the 'Away' gets are stored in the nanites generated by a special something in your body.]_ It's in my brain. [_In case you're wondering, it's in your brain._] Called it.

_[These tiny computers self-terminate when they leave your body, and become undetectable under practically any type of observation. Having the technology of many different universe's advanced species helps with that. Anyway, it's all synced with my equipment back home. They let me, the'Home' partner, keep track of your location and communicate with you. I can also see you and your surroundings out to 25 meters, boost any sensors you get for quicker and more reliable data, and relay just about any intel you may need.]_

I admit, I'm really impressed. Not that that actually means much. I'm likely going to be impressed by anything in this 'Mass Effect' place. Mass Effect coffee mug, Mass Effect t-shirt, Mass Effect toothbrush, whatever that is... Yeah. I'll try not to let her know how much I'm FREAKING OUT right now. She seems to be trying really hard to be a good partner. ... Actually, does that mean I should tell her how much I'm freaking out? That memory seems... well, I guess it's good advice. "Trust your partner." I wonder...

Before I can really start wondering about that old man from my memory, the door opens. A smiling young red-haired woman, who looks no older than 23, walks through. "Ah, good. You're awake. Did you have a nice sleep?" I suppose so? I don't know the difference between a nice sleep and a not nice sleep at the moment, so I just shrug my shoulders.

"I guess?" Wow... my voice is pretty androgynous. Wait, am I male or female? Shiiiiiiiii-

The lady laughs. At me? I hope not, but I'm pretty sure she is. I'm betting I look pathetic right now. "Well, no surprise there. You did kind of sleep on a metal floor for 20 minutes." There's that too.

"Coffee?" she offers as she holds out a mug that I hadn't noticed her holding. I notice she has her own cup as well, so I accept. It takes a few sips before I realize I don't really like the taste. At all. I decide to hold it for warmth, and figure out... things. Looking up at the red-haired woman, I hesitate. (_Boton, when am I, where am I, and what's my name? Those things are kind of important.)_

I can practically hear her smiling at me as she speaks. [_I was wondering when you'd ask that. The current Earth year is 2183. You're on the Citadel, a giant space station that's pretty much the center of galactic society. Your name here is Kizuna Forge. You're male, but you're very androgynous. Your voice has the widest possible range for a human, and you're good at disguses. You're a former black-ops commander back home... as well as here.]_

Shock fills me. I mean... what else would be expected? Actually, I don't know. Hmm... Well, since I don't remember jack squat, I suppose it's reasonable that I've been here before. Still... (_I've been here before? ... Boton, explain. _Now.) Whoops, that was a little harsh.

With a nervous laugh, she hurries through the facts. [_Ah well, last time we were here was for recon, but we weren't really satisfied with that. So... we had decided to get involved with the people of this universe. It goes like this; You landed on the colony world of Mindoir, and stayed with one of the farm families for a month before it was attacked by Batarian Slavers. A nearby Alliance ship picked you up and took you to the Citadel. During the ride you became aquainted with a girl named Jane Shepard. We'll talk about her later. You joined the Alliance Navy as soon as you could. You went to N-training right after boot camp, eventually rising the ranks to N7. You took part in the Skyllian Blitz and earned the title of "Butcher of Torfan" for killing both enemies who were either retreating or had surrendered. You were... not nice about it. Lots of other things happend, but that's a story for a another time. You've been on "medical leave" for the past two months due to head trauma.]_

_(Can I have my memories back, then? You said the nanites store them, and that you're synced with them. I assume you have a back-up?)_ Please say yes, please say yes, please say yes, please say yes. [_Er, yes,]_ Yes! [_but I can't give them to you.]_ Dammit!

_[The medical leave you've been assigned is kind of fake. We had to pull your mind back home, so we hacked it into their networks. It was the only way to explain where you'd gone for the past two months. Which, in case you were wondering, was to get chewed out by the brass. Also, to get you some new guns.]_ Oooooh... [_I'll tell you how to get them later.]_ Awww, I want them now... [_Point is, the amnesia will give you a the perfect excuse to ask a lot of questions. Why don't you try now? Talk to the girl in front of you, goodness knows you need the experience. You've been gawking at her this whole time!]_

Friggin'-! (_I'm not gawking! I'm zoned out, talking to you!)_ I think/shout back at her, but silence is the only reply I get. Oh well, better talk to the lady here...

Re-focusing on the present (minus Boton), I speak. After looking away and looking embarassed. I _had_ been staring, after all. "So.. uh.. I'm Kizuna. What's your name? Is this your place?" I say, gesturing around with my hand.

She giggles. "Yes, I know your name Kizuna. You've only been in my home clinic for two months. Before you ask, you've been having some memory problems due to a rather nasty blow to the head. Now, what can you tell me about yourself?" she asks, walking over and swapping her coffee for a datapad as she does.

Not really knowing what to say, I retell her what Boton told me. Specifically, what Boton said about my past in this universe. Can't just let civvies know about the inter-reality military forces that want their technology, you know. ... That sounded kinda evil.

Anyway, she introduces herself as Cecil. We talk for a while, but she eventually has to go. Other patients and all. Before she does, she tells me I'll be under monitoring for the next few weeks. Good thing, too. I'm not quite ready to tackle the world yet. I take a deep breath, wait a moment, then release it. Damn... something tells me this whole thing is going to suck.

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**Author's Note: I'm awesome, but sleepy. I have another thing in the works, and I'm sorry for switching projects so much. I just want to get my ideas down before they disappear. G'night.**


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